It Can't End This Way
by snapple79
Summary: Inspired by the brief clip in a promo for S4 of Sam injured and in an ambulance with Andy. No spoilers beyond what we've seen in promos, which I think most have seen.


**It Can't End This Way**

When I saw the clip of Sam in an ambulance and Andy sitting there, this one-shot popped into my head. I don't have a specific timeframe for when this takes place, but Sam and Marlo are long done by this point. Enjoy and let me know what you think in a review! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

"Andy! Andy!" Nick yelled out when he saw her. "Where have you been?"

"I was around back. What's up? We caught the guy right?" she asked, confused why he was running over to her with this stricken look on his face.

Andy, Nick and Sam had been investigating a suspect who Sam was confident had ties to his sister's attack years ago. It was all off the books; no one could know about it because they were pushing the boundaries of right and wrong. Sam had confided in Andy, reluctantly asking for her help, and eventually they realized they needed another person and since Andy trusted Nick, they brought him in on their secret.

However, when they'd descended on where the guy lived and found it was the house belonging to one of the biggest gangs in Toronto, they'd been forced to call 15 Division in for backup. They'd been lucky though, only five guys were inside the house at the time, including the guy they were after. Andy had breathed a sigh of relief when she heard on the radio he'd been caught. Maybe Sam could finally find some peace now, she'd thought.

She'd been around the back of the house and was on a mission to find Sam when Nick had called out to her. She didn't like the look on his face, like he was afraid to tell her something. "Nick, what is it?"

"Andy, it's Sam. He...he was hit," Nick said when he caught up to her.

The light in her eyes was gone and she went pale when she heard the words come out of his mouth. "What? How? Where?" She couldn't put words together as her eyes darted behind Nick trying to find Sam. Nick was about to respond when he saw her eyes finally lock onto the stretcher carrying Sam.

"Go," he quietly urged.

She'd been stuck to the spot where she stood until she heard Nick's voice again. Without acknowledging him, she walked around one ambulance to find the one Sam was being pushed into. She walked over and with only a glance at the paramedic, climbed into the ambulance and sat down next to Sam.

"Sam. Sam," she whispered as she took his hand in hers.

"He's unconscious," the paramedic told her as he placed tubes in Sam's nose to force oxygen through his lungs.

She laid her hand on his chest, his button-down shirt wide open, wires attached to his chest that made the monitors nearby beep in synch with the beating of his heart that she could feel under her palm. She watched as the paramedic replaced the bloody gauze on his abdomen. There wasn't much blood really, but she knew that didn't mean anything. The bullet could have hit an important organ; he could have severe internal bleeding. The lack of blood meant nothing. Damn him for not wearing his vest, she thought. It had been so chaotic when they arrived at the house, he'd probably forgotten it in the car.

She squeezed his hand gently. "You can't leave me." They'd wasted so much time and now she didn't know if they had any time left at all. With her free hand she caressed his forehead and leaned down to place a kiss there. "Sam, you have to..." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she fought back tears. "You have to pull through this. I need you. I love you, Sam. I know it's not easy for you. I get that. But I do. I can't live my life without you in it."

One hand still grasping his, the other lying on the top of his head, she rested her forehead on his and closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears. It couldn't end like this. They'd just gotten back together, had their first date just a week ago. They were starting out slow, trying to do it right this time. Having recently helped him work through his childhood – what had happened with his sister, how his father went to jail, how his mother was institutionalized – she understood him better. Knew why he had trouble opening up, knew why he couldn't vocalize his feelings well. But he was working on it; they both were working on better understanding each other. He couldn't leave her now, like this.

"We're here," the paramedic said, startling Andy from her thoughts. She sat back as they pulled Sam out of the ambulance, following quickly as they wheeled him through the open doors of the ER.

She was eventually stopped when Sam was pushed into a room and quickly hooked up to the machines. A nurse pointed her over to a window so she could watch what was happening. It was all a blur though. All Andy could focus on was Sam's face, willing him to open his eyes so she knew he'd be okay. But he didn't; he lay there lifeless, eyes closed, skin becoming paler by the second.

* * *

It was nearly 36 hours later when Andy felt something squeeze her hand. She hadn't left Sam's bedside once he'd been taken out of surgery, except to change out of her uniform when Traci brought her some clothes, and to grab a coffee when Sam had been taken for some tests. Sitting in the chair she'd pulled right up to his bed, she had dozed off, her head resting on his thigh as she held his hand in hers. The pressure on her hand woke her up, but she simply shifted to try and get more comfortable.

Sam lips slowly curved into a smile as her watched her for the few seconds it took for things to click in her groggy head. He watched her eyes flutter as she shifted slightly on his leg. He wondered how long he'd been here, how long she'd been sitting in the uncomfortable position she was in. And then it happened, her head shot up like a lightning bolt, her eyes flying open. "You're...You're awake."

"How long..." Sam swallowed, his throat dry from unuse. Not letting her one hand go from his, she used her free hand to grab a cup of water from the bedside table and brought it to his lips. "How long have you been here?" he asked once he'd been able to wet his throat.

"Since they brought you in two nights ago. I think it was two nights ago. I've kinda lost track of time," she said. After putting the cup back down, she caressed his cheek, all the while never taking her eyes off of his. "You scared me. When I saw you…the blood…I was so scared."

"Better me than anyone else. You, Nick, I brought you all into this. It was too dangerous. I - "

"Shhh. We wouldn't have been there if we didn't want to be." While she'd waited for Sam to come out of surgery Nick had told her that Sam had insisted Andy take a team to the back of the house because he knew there was little to no danger there, and he wanted her safe. And that he had insisted on going into the house first, in front of everyone else. He ended up being a human shield and that's how he got shot.

"C'mere," he said, tugging her hand to bring her closer since he didn't have the energy to sit up. Andy complied, standing up so she could lean down and press her lips to his. Tears had flown many times since Andy arrived with Sam at the hospital, but the tears that dripped down from her cheeks to Sam's now were tears of happiness. "McNa- Andy...don't...I'm okay." He wiped the tears with his thumb before nudging her nose with his.

"I...I can't...I thought I lost you and I didn't know what to do. We wasted so much time. We - "

"Shhh." He wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the pain as he pulled her close and she held onto him tightly. "We're here now. I'm never leaving you again. I love you, you know that. I do."

She nodded her head, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "I know. I know you do. I love you too." She climbed onto the bed, mindful of his injuries, and laid her head gently on his shoulder. "Don't ever decide to be a human shield again, okay? Promise me." She laid her hand on his chest, felt the steady beat of his heart as her fingers played with the cotton hospital gown he wore.

"I promise," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Unless it's you, then all bets are off."

"Sam," she said exasperatedly.

"No arguments, McNally."

They were silent for several minutes, simply enjoying each other.

"We should probably tell the nurses you're awake," Andy finally said. She tried to sit up, but Sam held her down.

"In a bit. Just want another minute here before they start poking and prodding," he said.

Andy took his hand in hers, rested them both on his chest. "Okay."

* * *

The End.


End file.
